Our Native Woods

It is a remarkable fact that, while in iiiany paris of the West the tiniber belts that are close at hand contain an abumlaiit aupply of excellent building material, aearly all our buildings, public and private, are furnished trom basement to ridgepole witli an inferior wood brought trom a distance. For outside work in wooden structurea, however, this wood is the best that the country affords. Pine shingles, when piöperly made and laid, and pitra weather-boards woll pjkinted, makemostetTeetive covertngs for roof and wall. But when it comes lo inside finishing, it is certain that the builder wonld proflt bv a change of material. Three things are now exclusive!? used for inside work, namely pine, paint and piaster. All three are objectionable on the score of economy and good taste. For stucco, (piaster of Paria,) is superior to comiiKin mortar; polisu is bettérthan paint; and the iiative woods ar certainly superior to piñe. li is true that pine, bemga soft wood, is easily worked, and that consequently pinu window and door-casings, basêboards, etc., can be got out and put up wit li lass expenso than those of hard wood. But it is the softness of pine that rendéis it unfit for inside finishing, since it is so easily defaced by. the wear and tear to which it is su'bjeeted in living rooms, Moreover, pine casings, dooft, etc, nnist be covered with paint by reason of 'the f act that when left bare, ot unftnished with oil, the wood grows dark and dingy. Xot so with the bard woods that giow on the borders of our streains. Ne&riy all ot them will take a polish, whieh, when finished with oil or covered with varnish, presente a bright and beanttíúl surface that will last for centuries. A Bugar maple board, for instanec, will, when well fieasoned and well worked, show a white, sniooth, lianl finish with line and delicate gntining. Oak, (both red and white,) fnrnisbes a surface thatno pigment can equal; and the grain of the latter is, as evervbody kiiiiws, especially vich and varieii. So too, white ash, when reducal to smoothness, (lisjilays in its graining a variety of patterns Which are far more attractive than any color whatever laid on with the brusli. Xow these bright, close-grained w Is which are so imperishable and so susceptible of a beautiful polish, eau be got at a lower rute per thousand than pine of a like grade. Why then.should we go on asing a detective wood for inside worK, and covering it with spurious tmitations of the natural grains, when the genuine origináis,, thus coareely imitated, are within the reach of all? The intriusie value of our native woods for Hoors may be iirged with equal force. It is true that if the Hoor is to be perpetually hidden by that uncleanly article, the car])Ot, then third class june is as good as auy otlier luiuber; but if a bettor taste should ever lead usto discard the dust gatlicring nuisance, thon the hard woods will come in play. For the best and most desirable ltoors, whetiiei' jilain or oniarnental, are made in this country of siich woods as ïnaple and oak.